Literary Terms Pretest

Front

What is an oxymoron?

Back

A phrase that combines two words that are opposite, such as 'deafening silence.'

Front

What is an internal conflict?

Back

An issue that a character faces within him/her self.

Front

What are the characteristics of the Romantic Period in literature?

Back

Emphasis on emotion, individualism, nature, and the sublime.

Front

What is alliteration?

Back

The repetition of similar sounds at the beginning of words, such as 'She sells sea shells.'

Front

What is indirect characterization?

Back

The author gives clues about a character by describing what a character looks like, does, and says, as well as how other characters react to them.

Front

What is a hyperbole?

Back

A huge exaggeration used for emphasis or effect, such as 'I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.'

Front

What is a metaphor?

Back

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as,' such as 'Time is a thief.'

Front

What is a simile?

Back

A figure of speech that compares two different things using 'like' or 'as,' such as 'Her smile was like sunshine.'

Front

What is personification?

Back

Giving human-like qualities to non-human things, such as 'The wind whispered through the trees.'

Front

What is a theme in literature?

Back

The central idea or message that a story conveys, such as the theme of love or friendship.